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Student Suspended For Leaving Something In Car That Was Parked Off Campus

An Iowa school district isn’t taking any chances when it comes to weapons on— or near—school grounds. A student at Dubuque Senior High School has been suspended after school officials found a BB gun in the student’s car, which was parked off campus.

Despite the fact that the car was parked in a nearby neighborhood and not in the school parking lot, the student was disciplined for having the weapon, KWWL reports.

The student’s parents were notified and the BB gun was confiscated, in addition to the suspension.

Dubuque Community School District director of school and community relations Mike Cyze said in a press release that the gun never left the student’s car before the police confiscated it. Nevertheless, the student was suspended.

“This morning’s incident occurred adjacent to campus during arrival time while other students were present," Cyze clarified. "Police responded to the location of the vehicle as well as to Senior High School, at the time not knowing what, if any, threat may have existed. Given this, there was a significant disruption to the learning environment and having the student on campus would have continued that disruption throughout the day.”

The student was therefore suspended and the weapon confiscated due to the possibility of a "threat."

“It is the district’s practice to suspend students involved in similar instances while the investigation is conducted by police and administrators and the facts can be determined,” Cyze explained. “Disciplinary action, if any, is determined based on the results of that investigation.”

Dubuque Senior High School principal Dan Johnson had a word for parents and students on the matter.

"This incident is an important reminder that the school district and area law enforcement do not take the presence of these weapons lightly," Johnson said.